Autumn Leaves
by aohitomi
Summary: Quorra is running away from Sam and the comfortable life she used to love.  The autumn rain continues falling.  Until someone unexpected brings her an umbrella. Rated Mature for violence.


Author's Note: This story was inspired by Eva Cassidy's beautiful rendition of Autumn Leaves.

Autumn Leaves

The rain wouldn't stop falling. Quorra looked out the window of the train. Of course she had seen rain before, but not rain falling on trees. Not rain falling in a world she barely understood. It was fall. The trees were all changing colors. Greens grew into fiery reds and yellows. Soon they would be gone, she thought. And winter would come. The cycle would continue. She put her head on her elbow and continued to stare, just stare, at the swiftly passing world.

She had left Sam that day. Packed a bag and left. She hadn't even left a note behind. She didn't know what to say. He had been so kind to her. So gentle. But there came a time when whenever he looked at her, he seemed sad and distant. She was afraid he was starting to resent her. After all, she had meant so much to his father. Almost more than coming home.

"That's not true!" She tried to reason with him that past night. "Your father loved you. He would have come home if he could have."

"No. He sat there and did nothing. He 'removed himself from the equation' when he removed himself from my life!"

"Sam, that's not true and you know it."

"Why? Because you say so?" He was acting like a child. A hurt little boy. The fights had been going on like this for weeks. She couldn't understand what Sam needed or wanted from her, so she decided to end it. She wasn't sure she could navigate the real world on her own, but she knew it was better than staying with him.

She decided to go to her favorite place. It was an estuary on the Long Island Sound called Five Islands Park. It was a place Sam introduced her to. It was summer then and they went out there for a picnic.

"I wonder what Dad would have thought of this place," he said.

"I bet he would have loved it. It's so peaceful out here." They sat on the rocks watching the waves lap against the shore. In the distance there was a boat house. A small boat sat bobbing in the water. It's sail was tied up. The silence was comfortable She put her head on his shoulder. "I like it here." She smiled. This is what she thought the real world could be. Peaceful, calm, dream-like. She never realized it could get so hard.

The train conductor came by asking for tickets. She realized she hadn't bought one at the station.

"That'll be 11 dollars," the conductor said. Quorra rummaged through her pockets. She pulled out some money and handed it to him.

"That's only eight dollars miss." She continued rummaging around. She was suddenly scared, reminded of the fact that this wasn't her world. She was only a visitor.

"I think that's all I have," she said and looked up at the conductor. She seemed so small there. The conductor was about to take her off the train, but then a man sitting across the aisle from her handed the conductor a five dollar bill.

"Here," he said. "That should take care of it." The conductor handed the man his change.

"Thanks," Quorra said.

"No problem." The man was tall. He wore a plaid shirt and torn jeans. He was reading the Times and had his feet up on the seat in front of him. "Name's Alexander."

"Quorra." She said and turned back to the window. She didn't feel like talking to strangers. Sam had warned her about that. But the man continued.

"You seem a little lost, Quorra. Are you running away from someone?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Just a hunch I guess." He looked down at his paper and then back up at her. "You remind me of someone."

"Oh, who?" she asked.

"A girl I used to know. She was really cute. Had a mohawk though. I think it must be your eyes or something."

"Oh, well you don't remind me of anybody." It was so unexpected, Alexander laughed.

"Oh are you sure? Some people say I look like a young Harrison Ford."

"Who's he?" She said it completely deadpanned.

"Um..." Alexander didn't know what to say. "Anyhow," he continued, "I'm on a mission."

"What kind of mission."

"To find the girl of my dreams! And I think you might be it!" Quorra looked confused. Alexander laughed again. "Guess pick up lines like that don't work on girls like you. Oh well. Can't blame a guy for trying."

Quorra smiled. "It was a nice try." She laughed. Plenty of guys had tried to pick her up. Not one had succeeded.

"Hey this is my stop," she said. "It was nice talking to you."

"Same here," Alexander said and went back to reading his newspaper.

Quorra quickly exited the train. Alexander, which wasn't his real name, got up and followed her out. Quorra walked across the train platform and into the station. Alexander followed, keeping a short distance behind her. When they reached the alley behind the station, Alexander started to run, caught up with her and forced her into the alley. Quorra could barely register what was going on. He began to tear at her clothes pushing her down.

Normally she would have fought back, but she was so disoriented. How could a guy who seemed so nice five minutes ago be doing this to her. It didn't make sense. She tried to kick him off of her, but he was too strong.

"Do what I say and I won't have to hurt you." He pulled out a knife and started cutting the straps of her dress. The rain kept pouring down.

A shadow came into the alley and pulled Alexander to a standing position. The shadow began punching Alexander in the face, beating him hard and heavy. Quorra was bruised and tried to get up. Alexander staggered and ran away. "Stupid bitch!" he said as he fled the scene. The shadow hesitated, wanting to go after him, but he saw Quorra getting up and bent down to help her up.

As Quorra got ahold of her senses, she realized who had saved her. It was Sam. "Did he hurt you?" he asked.

"No, I mean yes. But not like that." He looked at her, making sure she was really ok. "Wait Sam, how, how are you here?"

"I wanted to bring you this." He held out a red umbrella. "You forgot it." Quorra wrapped her arms around him. "If you were going to leave me, I thought you might need an umbrella."

"You came out all this way to bring me an umbrella?" She laughed. And then she found herself crying. "Oh God Sam! I was so scared. I was so scared. I thought he was going to kill me." Sam held her closer. They were standing, still getting soaked in the rain.

"I would never let that happen to you."

She sobbed into his leather jacket. She just let the tears flow. The fear started to subside, receding into warm anger at her violation, and love for Sam.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked.

"I know you. I knew you would go to Five Islands. You always told me it was your favorite place." She looked up at him with gratitude.

"Quorra, I'm so sorry. I know why you left. I've been so horrible to you lately. Can I ever make it up to you?"

"Sam, I," she didn't know what to say. Her head was still spinning. "Sam I want to be with you. I love you. But I don't want to fight all the time. I don't want to remind you of your father. And I don't want to hurt you."

They walked into the station and sat down on a bench.

"I know I have a lot of work, a lot of growing up to do," Sam said as he reached for Quorra's hand. "But I miss you. And I want to do this for you."

Quorra smiled. "Ok, but you have to try."

"I will," Sam said. "Come on, let's go home."

As Sam and Quorra drove back to the city on Sam's bike, Quorra watched the autumn leaves. They passed by in a colorful blur. She thought about Sam's promise as she watched the leaves. She wondered if people could ever change, truly, or whether they were destined to cycle endlessly like leaves. But she was willing to try. She watched the leaves falling from the rain-soaked trees. Soon they would be gone. Soon they would return. The cycle would continue. She put her head closer to Sam and watched the swiftly passing world.


End file.
